IN CONVERSATION - Noriko Okawa on her son Makoto Okawa
For part eleven of my ‘In Conversation’ series, I chatted to Noriko Okawa, the mother of Makoto Okawa who passed away in 2016. Makoto’s work never fails to bring a smile to my face - be it his paintings or his makoot dolls - so I wanted us to look back on this incredible Japanese self-taught artists work.
Makoto working in Atelier Corners
1. Was he creative before he started attending Atelier Corners and what sort of work did he create then?
No, he didn’t create anything before 2006. Atelier Corners was established in 1989. At that time none of the members were doing art at all. In 2006, Corners began to get art materials, so that the members could start expressing themselves through art. This was when Makoto started to make art – he was 30 years old. Firstly he did drawings, and then moved onto his hand-felted works after this. He was a member of corners for 22 years until he passed away.
2. His makoots are loved whenever they are exhibited. Did he enjoy seeing his work exhibited and do you know why he called them makoots?
Yes, he really enjoyed seeing his works exhibited and looked forward to being praised by someone who loved his makoots. He was a friendly guy. The name “Makoot” was named by Yoshiaki Kasatani who is an designer/movie director. He published a book titled, “THE CORNERSTONE,” which introduced Atelier Corners art and existence to a wider audience. You can find out more about that here: https://pr-y.org/
3. What came first his paintings or his felt-creations once he was at Atelier Corners?
It was his drawings and paintings. Some were quite large, around 1mx1m in size.
Men and Women of all Ages, Acrylic on wood
4. How often did he attend Atelier Corners? and did he often talk about his art?
Every Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm he attended Corners. He didn’t talk about his art, he couldn’t really hold a conversation with others.
5. How long would the makoots take him to make? Were there particular colours he was drawn to?
Depending on the size, he would need anything from one day up to two weeks to make one Makoot. He loved all colours and didn’t choose any as favourites. He took a handful of felt quickly each time, without hesitation.
6. As his mother, what do you hope happens for Makoto's works in the future?
I hope the Makoots cheer people up and bring encouragement to those who might need it. And I hope each Makoot will find a place to stay in someone’s family in the future.
7. What is your favourite memory of Makoto?
I loved his smile. He liked eating, even if the cooking was poor! When he was eating he was smiling too. His favourite menu was GYOZA (a popular Chinese food). Now, when I see GYOZA, I always remember his smiling face and his voice saying ”yummy”.
Makoot (170), Hand-felting